In This World
by Anime4everKitty
Summary: Kerushii, knowing exactly what is in store for SAO, dives in regardless of her knowledge due to her need to help people. Sacrificing her life, she follows Klein and his gang through their adventures with the goal of keeping them alive. Through her 2 year journey she falls in love. With who? Read to find out.
1. The Beginning

I stared at the headgear in my hands as a light sweat formed on my face. I knew what this was and I knew what it meant. I knew the horrible turn of events that would surely take place, but I had to. There may be nobody willing to do it. I let a few things flash through my head as I slowly moved the gear to it.

"Yes. I suppose you _could _call it a game. Akihiko is just so dumb!" I stared at my totally-drunk father as he spat out some bits of info that would change my life. "You're not to play it, ok Keru?"

I sighed, swiping the my father's hand, which was resting gently on my head, off. "Dad, I'm not a little girl anymore. I don't need those silly nicknames."

"You don't like my nicknames, my adorable little panda bear?!" He whined.

I shrugged his question off. "Exactly how is this game _not_ a game? Why can't I play it?" I shot.

"It's very top-secret. I can't tell you that everyone entering this game cannot sign out." He nodded decisively. "I must not tell you that the only way out, unless the game is defeated, is death. You would probably jump in and try to save the day. You cannot save the day though because the game's last boss is impossible. It's the man himself!" He shrugged hopelessly.

My eyes widened. "There's no way you helped work on a game like that, dad! There's seriously no way! I won't believe it!" I hesitated. "Who is the last boss?!"

"I can't eat any more food, honey! Stop! You're gonna' make me fat!" I raised a brow and lifted his head up, only to see drool running down his face.

"How can someone so silly help create a horrible world like that?" I stared at him sadly.

"I love you so much. Let's get married and have kids together, ok? We'll have a happy life." His peaceful face turned into a grimace with tears pouring. "Forever. We said it would be...forever. Don't...please don't go..."

Guilt hit me full force. "He's in pain and needed money to pay for me all these years...He's drunk because he hates it." I sighed and picked him up with slight trouble. "Dad, please lose some weight if you're going to pass out this often. You're heavy." With effort, I placed him down and covered him with the thickest blanket I could find. "I know you don't want me getting involved, but I have to. I won't let everyone there die." I kissed him on the forehead. "Don't worry. I'll take care of myself and make it out of there." I watched his face as another swarm of tears charged out of his eyes. I turned around and headed up the stairs. I could not watch any more. I needed to go.

I zoned back in as I walked over to my bed. I had played the Beta and cleared as many levels as I could, but sadly I was not on top. Kirito was always a level above me. Regardless, I never hated him. I just thought of him as a challenge. This time, though, I _would_ beat him. "LINK..." I yelled, making sure there was nothing I needed to do before I got out. Bright blue eyes engulfed by raven-colored black hair flashed into my mind.

I head trampling up the steps. "NO! Kerushii! My baby! Please don't leave me like she did!" My father's voice grew closer and closer.

_You're both going to have to wait. I have things I need to do._ "START!" I immediately mouthed the word 'sorry' right before my mind shot into a digital stream. I used to love the feeling of launching into this digital world, but this time it felt dangerous. I was in fear. I had the most horrible feeling of the inability to turn back.

Suddenly all of my fear melted as I opened my eyes to reveal a pair of the most piercing eyes I'd ever seen. They were unnaturally red, but they were kind. I felt my chest start pounding rapidly. I put a hand on it hoping to calm it down, but it only beat faster and harder as I heard the owner's voice raise.

"Um...hey...y-you..." He stuttered, slightly red.

When I realized that we were only about 2 inches apart, I jumped away. "Oh...Hey..." I felt my face start to burn. I had stared so intensely at this stranger.

"Oh my. What do we have here?" He looked me up and down, regaining his composure. "HELLO! I'M KLEIN AND I'M LOOKING FOR A GIRLFRI-" He was sent flying from a smack to the face.

"Klein, don't be weird." I heard a familiar voice and whipped my head to the owner. Black hair and a lovely shade of black for eyes. His mature face had me smiling. He even tried to act mature, but he wasn't. "Hey nerd."

I grinned. "Hey loser. What are you doing?"

"What the hell?! Don't tell me you already scored this ho-" Klein started.

Kirito sent a death glare at the guy. "This is practically my little sister. I do _not_ think of her that way." He looked back at me with his usual smile and patted my head "And to answer your question, I'm teaching this idiot how to play a video game."

"Hey, you're the little one here! And you seriously have to teach him how to play a video game?" I started giggling.

His face turned slightly devilish. "Oh really? Do you really have the right to laugh at him? If I recall correctly, I had to teach you how to use it too." He laughed.

"Seriously?" Klein joined in.

I quietly blushed my face off. "Shut up! It was when NerveGear was first released!" I hit Kirito on the chest many times.

"That's not an excuse, Shorty." He grinned.

"I'm not short!" I started hitting him faster and harder.

Klein chuckled again and put out a hand to me. "Let's restart that. My name's Klein. It's nice to meet you."

I stopped and stared at him. I smiled and shook his hand. "Hey, I'm Kanashii."

"Your name means sad, right? So why that name?" His eyes widened.

"Oh...I just thought it would be ironic because people say I'm never sad. They say I act too happy to ever be sad. It's also only 3 letters away from my name." I flashed a fake smile.

"You don't look the happiest to me." He stared straight at me. It felt almost as if he was looking into my soul. His eyes seemed to do that to me. They look into my soul, despite the lack of permission I refused to give them.

After a moment of silence, I felt hand grab my cheeks from behind. My cheeks were pulled every which way. "Your name might as well be KaMINI. Because you are tiny." Kirito laughed from behind and I elbowed him in the stomach. He fell down.

"And you might as well be called McKlutz." I stuck a tongue out.

"Maybe." He smiled back, looking almost relieved at my laughter.

"Hey guys. Let's friend. I gotta' get my pizza soon. It's coming at 5:30 and it's 5:28 here."

A request showed up on my screen from Klein and I accepted it. "Aww...you're leaving?" I couldn't help but look at him pathetically upset.

He looked at me and a look that I couldn't quite comprehend formed across his face. "Don't worry." He gave a gentle smile. "I'm gonna' go eat and then come right back."

I felt relief wash over me as I saw a friend request from Kirito pop up. I looked at him surprised. He _never_ requested _anyone_. I giggled and clicked 'Accept'.

"Alright guys; well, see you soon." He searched through his menu and he freaked. "There's no log out button!"

"Yeah there is. It's on the bottom." Kirito sighed and opened his menu.

The memory flashed through my head and I looked to the ground.

"What?!" Kirito scrolled up and down and tried clicking where the log out button usually is.

"See man? I told you!" Klein shouted.

"It's probably just a bug. It should be fixed soon enough." Kirito sighed.

"No! What about my pizza, man?!" He yelled.

I bit my lip. Deep inside, I'd hoped that my father was wrong. That he was just spouting off crazy things because he was drunk. This confirmed it though. I shook my head. _That just means I made it in time to attempt helping._

"Kana?" Klein snapped me out of my trance.

I looked at him weirdly. "Klein?"

"Oh. I hope you don't mind. I decided it would be a cute nickname for you. You don't deserve to be sad." He gave another gentle smile.

My heart was flittering all about. A mixture of feelings were churning in both my stomach and my chest. "What if...What if I do deserve it?" I looked from his eyes back to the floor.

He took my chin in his hand and brought my eyes to his. "I can see your soul. It is beautiful. Nothing that beautiful could possibly deserve sadness." He soothed.

My stomach calmed and my heart decided to do a summersault followed by a never-ending selection of flips.

Kirito's arm wrapped around my neck and he rubbed his knuckles into my head. "I don't know about beautiful, but it's definitely pure! So I'm gonna have to agree with this perv on this one."

"HEY! I'm no perv!" Klein shouted, elbowing Kirito in the arm.

"Right." He elbowed Klein back with a sarcastically confident grin.

I felt a bubble of laughter rise slowly out of me. It felt like everything would be ok, as long as I had them both with me. I looked at my new friends lovingly.

"What?" They both blushed lightly.

"Nothing. I just really think I'm going to love SAO; no matter what happens." I smiled in complete bliss and we all erupted in laughter. I heard a click of a camera. "What was that?"

"Oh. Did your character take a picture? Let's look at it. I heard that if you're truly happy, SAO will sometimes take a picture of you and put it in your storage." Klein smiled and leaned in as I opened my menu. Kirito followed. I opened the picture and it had to be just about my favorite in the world-however I only saw a flash of it before the menu closed it automatically. From what I saw, it had my real appearance in it.

"I think that picture...no it couldn't be!" Klein started.

"Did it...have a real version of you two?" Kirito asked. We both nodded and we started glowing.

"Is this...?" I was interrupted by a giant bell ringing.

"I think it's a forced teleport. But where are we..." We all vanished and reappeared in a giant crowd in the middle of the town. We all were looking around.

"Up there." Klein pointed to a red warning sign in the air.

"That's..." Kirito started, but it spread and covered the entire area. Out of it, a red blob started forming.

"What is that?" Klein asked. My stomach started churning. All of our questions were about to be answered.

The glob formed into a red-hooded, godly figure that raised his arms. "Attention Players. Welcome to my world."

"'My world'?" A drop of sweat formed on Kirito's face.

"My name is Kayaba Akihiko." _My dad was talking about him... _"As of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this world."

Whispers erupted from the audience.

"I'm sure you've already noticed that the log out button is missing from the main menu. But this is not a defect in the game. I repeat. This is not a defect in the game. It is a feature of Sword Art Online."

"A-A feature...?" A drop of sweat was now forming on Klein's face. I felt myself heating up out of anger. _My father was correct..._

"You cannot log out of SAO yourselves. And no one on the outside can shut down or remove the NerveGear. Should this be attempted, the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit a powerful microwave, destroying your brain and thus ending your life."

Panic started to leak out within the crowd.

"What's he talking about?" Klein muttered. "He's gotta be nuts. Right, Kirito?" He turned to Kirito.

"He's right that the transmitter's signals work just like microwaves. If safety were disabled, it could fry a brain." Kirito hesitated, deep in thought.

"Then, if we cut the power..." Klein tried.

"No; the NerveGear has an internal battery." Kirito replied and panic set within me too. I had no clue it would be _this _dangerous.

Klein began to lose his temper. "But this is just crazy. What's going on?!" He yelled.

"Unfortunately, several players' friends and families have ignored this warning, and have attempted to remove the NerveGear. As a result, 213 players are gone forever, from both Aincrad and the real world."

"213?!" Panic finally released from Kirito.

" I don't believe it...I don't believe it!" Klein rejected.

"As you can see, news organizations from across the world are reporting all of this, including the deaths. Thus, you can assume that the danger of a NerveGear being removed is now minimal. I hope you will relax and attempt to clear the game. But I want you to remember this clearly. There is no longer any method to revive someone within the game. If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will be forever lost. And simultaneously, the NerveGear will destroy your brain."

Both Kirito and I gasped. He clenched his fists, obviously frightened as hell.

"There is only one means of escape. To complete the game. You are presently on the lowest floor of Aincrad, Floor 1. If you make your way through the dungeon, and defeat the floor boss, you may advance to the next level. Defeat the Final Boss on Floor 100 to clear the game."

"Clear all hundred floors?" Klein looked at the man in disbelief. "That's impossible. The Beta testers never made it anywhere near that high!" He yelled.

"Finally, I've added a present from me to your item storage. Please see for yourselves."

We all opened our menus at different paces.

"Mirror?" Kirito hesitated, his finger lingering over the item. I was doing the same. We had no clue what it does. He finally clicked it and brought it out and I followed. I didn't notice, but it seems Klein already had it out.

"Klein!" We both yelled as he started glowing. Everyone else slowly started glowing too. Simultaneously, all the light disappeared and everyone was looking around.

"Are you ok, Kirito?" A blurry Klein walked over to a blurry Kirito.

"Who are you?" Kirito asked.

"And who are you?" Kirito appeared to have lifted something (I assumed was the mirror) and looked at it. He looked over at some people yelling.

"Which means..." Kirito started.

"You're Kirito?! "You're Klein?!" They yelled at the same time.

"What are you getting so worked up about?" I asked rubbing my eyes in an attempt to clear my vision. I looked up from the ground and my face shot to a bright red. My vision was now clear and just about the most attractive man I'd ever seen was standing right in front of me, mouth gaping open while staring at me. His hair was a very reddish brown with a bandanna around his head much like Klein's. I looked to his eyes and realized they were the exact same piercing ones I'd seen before. This man was Klein. But how? He was the most attractive guy I'd ever seen, so how could this be Klein? Both of our faces turned even more red.

"Kana?!" He finally pushed out. "You look...I mean you _look_..." He simply could not speak.

"Klein? But you...I can't even...how are..." I had the same problem.

"How?!" Klein shot.

"That scan..." Kirito spoke up. "The NerveGear covers your head with a high-density signaling device. So it can see what your face looks like. But our height and body-shape..."

I looked down to see my regular body. I covered it up. _Ugh! When I made this avatar, I decided on one with a small chest because I'm tired of guys hitting on me all the time due to this fairly big chest. They're such pigs. Don't tell me I'm going to have to go through this here too. But how?!_ I felt my face light up even more.

"When we first used the NerveGear, it had us calibrate it right? You had to touch yourself here and there, right?" Klein thought back.

"O-Oh...That's right." That must be where it got the data.

"But...But...Why? Why do all of this, anyway?" He looked frustrated.

Kirito pointed. Now calming, I smiled at his baby-face. He wasn't so mature now. "I'm sure he'll tell us."

"Right now, you're probably wondering why, 'Why?' 'Why would Kayaba Akihiko, developer of Sword Art Online and NerveGear, do all this?' My goal has already been achieved. I created Sword art online for one reason...To create this world and intervene in it."

"Kayaba..." Kirito glared.

"And now, it is complete." The now-baby-faced Kirito clenched his fists. "This end the tutorial for the official Sword Art Online launch. Good luck, players." With that, he faded away, and the field keeping us all here went with him.

For a few moments, everyone stood in shock, staring at the sky where Akihiko Kayaba once floated. I stared, instead, at the preoccupied Kirito. He clenched his fist held in front of him as he looked up to reveal a terribly determined face.

A shatter of glass interrupted the silence along with a scream. "NO!" Finally, everyone started to react with panic. Everyone started shouting while in the place they were told this horrific news.

"Come with me, Klein." Kirito looked to me. "Tiny. You too." This was the one moment I didn't care that he called me short. He grabbed our hands and started running, dragging us with him.

When we were away from everyone, we stopped. "Listen to me. I'm heading to the next village right now. You two...come with me." He stated. Klein only responded with an 'eh?' sound. "If what he said was true, the only way to survive in this world is to make yourself as strong as possible. The resources within a virtual MMORPG, the money and experience we can earn, are limited. The fields within the Town of Beginnings will soon be hunted clean. To do this efficiently, we should head to the next village now. I know all the paths and dangerous areas." He looked to me. "I'd bet that you do too with your status." He went back to his menu map. Even at level , I can get there safely."

"But...But you know..." Klein hesitated. "I spend a whole night in line to buy this with my friends from the other game." His face was upset. "They're out there, in the plaza. I can't leave them." Kirito looked down, debating a big load (from what I could see). "Sorry." Kirito looked up. " I can hardly ask you for anything else, can I? So don't worry about it. You both go to the next village." Klein looked to both of us with a gentle smile. "I used to run a guild in my last game." He gave a thumbs up. "I can use what you taught me to get by." He placed his hands on his hips confidently, but I could tell he was lonely inside. I frowned. I had to say no...

"Alright." Kirito responded and I looked at him like he was crazy. He started turning around. "Then let's say goodbye here." He took a step. "If something happens, send me a message."

"Will do!" Klein grinned back at Kirito's sad face. "Kana..." He smiled gently and I felt my heart fluttering again. I could not deal with the way this man made me feel.

Kirito exchanged looks with me. "Kirito...I'm going to stay with Klein and help him and his friends."

It seemed almost as if it relieved him a little. "Ok. You keep Klein and his friends safe; you hear, Small Fry?"

"Yeah and I'll get you next time for that short joke, alright?" I shot back.

He smiled sadly at me then returned his gaze to Klein. "Okay, goodbye, Klein." He started to walk away.

"Kirito!" Klein shouted, face as serious as can-be. Kirito stopped and I could tell Klein had trouble getting out whatever he'd intended to say. He had the saddest look in his eyes. Kirito continued walking after a moment of silence. "Hey..." He yelled again and Kirito stopped again, refusing to turn around. "Kirito. You were actually pretty cute." Kirito turned around, bewildered. "That's my type." My face turned red as an image that was probably _WAY_ too inappropriate popped into my head.

Kirito smiled, full smirk. "And that unkempt face of yours suits yours suits you 10 times better." He turned around and started running away. Klein and I walked away. When we got out of sight, we looked back.

"Do you think he'll be ok?" Klein stared off, eyes glazed.

"Klein..." He looked into my eyes and I was caught. "Don't worry. He was top during the beta. He'll be top now. Trust me." I allowed myself to take in his attractive appearance.

"You know...you look..." His face turned a light red. "You look better this way too. I like it."

I turned extremely red. "If only you knew." I could only mumble those words as I stared at him.

"Oh; what? Have you fallen madly in love with me already? Yeah. I have that affect." He gave a cocky grin and I punched him in the arm.

"As if!" I blushed, but couldn't look away as his face became serious again.

"If any guy tries to touch you, he'll have to answer to me, ok? So don't worry." His eyes revealed complete seriousness.

"H-How did you know?" I blushed even more. My face just hates this guy.

"Quite frankly; how could that not be a problem with a body like that?" He smiled innocently.

"You know, sometimes it's kind of hard to tell if I should either hug you or hurt you." I sighed.

"I'll take a hug from you any day. I'm your knight anyways. You can be my princess, ok? We might as well have fun with this as long as we're in an RPG." He grinned and opened his arms wide.

With my face as red as his hair, I hesitantly hugged him. "Alright. Only since this is a life-or-death RPG." I let the hug sink in. He gave the best hug that I'd ever felt. It completely engulfed me and made me feel safe. I didn't know how, but he had a scent. It was very charming and I felt like I was melting.

"Hey, Kana?" He started.

"Yes?" I smiled as I inhaled more of his amazing aroma.

"You give the best hugs. I don't really...want to stop." He calmly sighed.

"You're doing this on purpose." I shifted my eyes. I still didn't let go until I found an urge inside of myself.

"What's wrong?" He frowned.

"Nothing. We simply don't have time. Let's separate for now and meet back here in exactly an hour. Okay?" I looked up at his dazed face that was staring at mine.

"Okay...What are you gonna do?" He let go.

"Some shopping. I still have the stats from the beta. I don't know why, but I'm gonna go with it. I should have enough money to get some items we'll need for our journey, plus one 'special' item I can use later." I smiled.

"You're such a female, gosh. Going shopping?" He teased.

I rolled my eyes. "You're such a guy, gosh. Stereotyping? Really though. You'll thank me later." I smiled and started walking.

"AN HOUR! REMEMBER!" He yelled.

"AN HOUR!" I smiled and waved back at him.


	2. The Danger

_**This chapter (well the first half) is a little strange, but the next one will be returning to the previous style I used. This one was honestly half for information and half for memories up until the part where they set out. I would enjoy any and every form of feedback I can get and I appreciate the review I was given from the first chapter. Thank you, T-I-S (The Imperial Swordsman) very much!**_

An hour had nearly passed, and I had just finished shopping. It turns out I had more money than I really needed anyways. I probably wouldn't have been able to spend it all if I tried. I grinned as I approached the place we'd promised to meet. _And to think he reminded __**me**__ to be here in an hour._ I shook my head. I pulled out the 'special item' I'd bought. It was an egg. I whistled a hidden song that can hatch certain creatures and smiled as it started to crackle.

**Before you see your hatchling, you must name it. Think carefully because you will NOT have a second chance. This will be your companion throughout the game. Treat it well.**

Under was a space to type it's name. _You'll help me accomplish my dream, so..._I slowly and carefully entered the four letters.

**Yume**

Dream. I clicked enter and the text continued.

**Yume. That is a very nice name. I hope your dream will truly be fulfilled.**

He finished hatching and out came a beautiful black dragon with glowing white eyes. I smiled at it.

**Congratulations on hatching your first creature. You've hatched a male ebony dragon. A rare breed of the darkest, yet brightest, kind. Though this beast is colored black, it's soul is pure white. This breed may learn to use any elemental skill. Use it well. What would you like to teach it first?**

**Fire**

**Water**

**Earth**

**Wind**

**White**

**Black**

_Of course I'd love to know what black magic is like, but..._I clicked white and his body shimmered with white sparkles.

**Good choice. You must care about those around you. You shall be rewarded. Usually when your rare dragon arrives at level 20, you may choose your next element; however, your kindness has decreased that number to 10. Have a safe journey.**

The screen disappeared and Yume rubbed against me. I smiled at him. I knew we would be the best of partners. Trampling. I heard a lot of trampling. I looked up to see a group of...I did some speed-counting. There were 3 guys running at me. I had no time to run before I was surrounded.

"Fairly attractive, my ass!" One yelled. So many noises were happening at once, that I couldn't keep track. Someone burst through the crowd and kicked everyone a away one-by-one. I looked up to see red hair, back towards me.

"I told you guys! She is _off limits_! If any of you try to make a move on her, I will personally kick your ass, best friend or not." Klein's voice echoed.

I peeked around out of temptation to see his facial expression. He was _angry_. His glare was turned up full-intensity. The guys nodded, seemingly intimidated. He turned around and smiled at me. "Good. Now that that's settled, hey Kana. Let me give you a quick introduction. This is Issin, Dale, and Dynamm." He pointed to a fairly tall, skinny, brown-haired guy, a fairly short, fat guy with dark brown hair and a rope around his head, and a skinny guy with black hair, a tiny scruffy beard with a thin handlebar mustache, and a red bandanna on his head, in order. "They're not that bad once you get to know them." He gave a sheepish grin as he rubbed the back of his neck. His eyes dialed in on the majestic beast in my lap. "Where'd you get that?" A eyebrow raised.

"This is Yume. I bought her as an egg and used the Song of Awakening to make her hatch." I smiled reluctantly, worrying about his reply.

"Dream, huh? You pick the deepest, yet most simple words for names." His smile faded as he came to a realization. "How much did it cost?"

I shrugged. _Quite a bit._ "It cost enough."

He hesitated, as if wondering whether to push it or leave it alone. "How do I know...you're not a moderator keeping a close eye on the players and 'buying' good items to keep yourself alive?"

I carefully considered the answer, each second passing causing more suspicion. "I don't know how to prove to you that I'm not." I looked into his eyes, trying to persuade my sincerity.

He paused, thinking. "You have 2 seconds to give a straight answer to each question. Hesitate, and I must assume that you're a mod." He communicated through his eyes that he honestly didn't like this situation. I nodded. "Alright...well...What's your name?"

I signaled a time-out with a hand-sign. "Hold on! One second!"

"Yes?" He narrowed his eyes.

"If these are this personal, can we move this to a hotel room? Nobody will be able to hear through the door without knocking." I blushed at my own words. It would have sounded completely dirty in the real word.

He, too, blushed at the sound of it and stuttered. "Yeah-uh...right! That would make sense...I guess..." He cleared his throat. "Lead the way, milady." He grinned, but it faded quickly. I frowned at him as I watched. Why couldn't we be ok again? I looked to the ground and walked through the town and they followed. After what seemed like forever of walking, I looked around.

"Where...are we...?" I heated, rubbing the back of my neck out of nervous habit.

"Don't tell me you have no sense of direction..." Klein sighed and opened his menu and chuckled. "We're exactly where we started. And what's worse is that there's a hotel right around the corner."

I grinned. "That's great! You have good directional skills! We're perfect together!" When I heard what I'd actually just said, I became flustered. "No-uh! I meant we'd be a great group! I'm sure that all of us can do at least one thing another can't. Well, that's only if you decide I'm not a moderator. But even if you do decide, I guess that wouldn't mean I'm automatically in your party...And even if I was..." I rambled, suddenly becoming very worried. "Klein, I want to be with you, ok?" I hit my forehead with my hand. "That sounds weird! I don't mean it that way! I mean that I..." I continued to ramble and I noticed that Klein was smiling gently at me. "What? What did I say? Well, I said a lot, but..."

He put a hand on my head and ruffled my hair. "Calm down, Kana. I'm still Klein and you're still Kanashii. I just need to make sure there aren't any lies between us. I'll let you know as much as you want too. Hell, so will these guys." He pointed back and got nods and smiles for replies.

I felt a great weight lifted off of my shoulders. Before I lost my nerve, I launched myself at him for a hug and his arms automatically wrapped around me. "Thank you. We need to get Kirito back one day okay? I want us all to be happy again. It was probably too short to matter to you both, but I really enjoyed the time we all spent together."

He nestled his face into my hair. "Me too. You know; he'll feel guilty. It'll be hard to get him back with _that_ personality, but we'll try." I could hear the blissful smile in his voice.

"Alright. Then we better get this show on the road!" I tore myself away (leading to my own dissatisfaction) and hopped into a direction, leading the way.

"Well the 'show' is that way." He pointed and I followed.

"I knew that. I was just testing you." I confidently stated

"Right. Just making sure." He rolled his eyes and followed me.

"Of course." I grinned as I walked to the door of the inn.

He paused at the door. "Do you guys mind waiting out here?"

They all hesitated, obviously not liking the idea. Finally, Dale spoke up. "If she is a mod..." He started, but looked at me (who was obviously looking hurt at the accusation) and shook his head. "I'm sure she's not. I'd rather have a good start with our new friend than suspecting her as a mod anyways." He gave me a shy smile and I returned it. "Get going." The others, now with more confidence in me, nodded in response to Klein's questioning look. I would have to thank Dale later.

Both Klein and I walked in and to the front desk.

"Welcome. I assume you're here for a room?" A pleasant smile came from the NPC.

"Do you have any deals for a quick, quiet room to talk?" I questioned, blushing again at how embarrassing it sounded.

"Oh, one of _those_." She tossed me a key. "Pay me after. I'll let you two get to it."

"But it's-" Klein started pushing me toward the room. "Klein! But-"

"Seriously, Kana? It's an NPC. It doesn't matter what they think." He sighed. "You're such a little kid. You're probably 16 anyways. That would definitely be illegal in the real world. Not that you're not attractive. I mean you're extremely-Ugh let me stop myself there." He shook thoughts away. "Anyways, we got the room, right? Be happy."

I felt myself heat up even more as we walked in. Rules popped up on both of our screens.

**Rule 1: LOCK THE DOOR. Nobody wants to walk in on that.**

**Rule 2: God Forbid...Shut the door at the very least.**

**Rule 3: Wine is on the side-table, on the house. Enjoy it.**

**Rule 4: Have fun. Don't forget to pay up after you've done the dirty.**

**Accept**

**Decline**

I clicked 'Accept' automatically, but Klein was simply staring at me.

"That was fast." He grinned.

"Well..." I tried to calm the blush before it started. "We're not doing that, so do I honestly need to know all that? Oh, actually! There is some of that I needed to know." He stared at me surprised after he clicked 'Accept'.

"And that would be?" He carefully chose his tone.

I walked over to him and grinned. I pretended to reach for him, but reached past him and grabbed the wine. I held it up to him. "This. We might as well since it's here."

He looked startled, but let out a smile while taking it from me. "I believe you're too underage to drink this." He started drinking a little. "Ms.16-year-old, you are just about 4 years too short."

"Piece of information number 1...Yesterday was my birthday. Piece number 2..." I took the wine from him and took 3 consecutive gulps. "I'm 20." I winked, sticking a tongue out. "Not that it even matters because nobody cares about that law. We're also in a video game." I drank more. "So I doubt they'd program it to affect us anyways." I smiled at him.

"There's no way _you're_ 20." He rolled his eyes at me.

"What happened to trust? That hurts." I sighed and looked him in the eyes. "I could act like a mature adult; but where's the fun in that?"

"Well, since I know your age...I'm 22." He shifted his eyes, obviously thinking a lot about that.

I took a sip and passed him some. _Interesting._ "Hmm. Okay. Now get on with the questioning." I giggled, even though nothing was really funny. I felt happy and bubbly.

"Ok. What's your name?" He smiled pleasantly at me at he drank a bit.

"Kerushii Kokoro." I grinned back with another little giggle. "What about you?" I pointed with both fingers and a goofy grin.

"Tsuboi Ryotaro." He reluctantly let out.

"Boy. Ryo!" I laughed. "Your name is nice. I like it. Can I call you Ryo?"

"Only if I can call you Keru." He smiled with a little laugh.

"That sounds like...Kirby...but okay!" I laughed with him. "Hey I think this is actually working like real alcohol because you look attractive. Like _really_ hot."

"Oh really now?" He gave a charming grin. "Well you always look _really_ hot and attractive. I don't need alcohol to see it." He gave an innocent smile and sighed happily.

"I don't either! I've always seen it, but I just want to..." I thankfully stopped myself from finishing the sentence and just stared at him.

"Well that would not be good, so..." He let go of the bottle and it crashed on the ground, turning into digital streams.

"Why though? I wanted it." I looked at where it crashed with sad eyes.

"It didn't want you, so it left you."

"Aww, come back! I swear I'll treat it better this time!" I looked at him as if he could grant my wish.

"And that's how you know you've had too much." He sighed. "Alright; we're gonna continue this thing. Where do you live?"

"Japan." I smiled.

"_Where_ in Japan?" He raised a brow.

"I don't know! How am I supposed to know right now?" I shrugged.

"Okay, well I live in Japan too. Were you a beta tester?" He questioned.

My eyes widened. "Yeah! Kirito was my best friend! Oh my gosh! We had so much fun! I think..." I tried to think but my head was clouded, much like when you try to remember something important when you're busy zoning out about something nice.

"Really?" He turned a little red as he considered asking something. "Did...Did you guys ever like each other."

I was repulsed by this question. "NO! Ew; he's like my little brother I never had!"

He relaxed a little. "So _do_ you like someone?"

"Hmm...maybe." I gave a secretive grin, but then it turned sad. "Yes. I have a boyfriend back home."

"Oh." He sighed.

"I don't know if that's gonna work though. Think about it! For all anyone knows, we could be here for the rest of our lives. He'd probably leave me. And good riddance! I don't think I like him anymore anyways. There someone else I like." I shrugged. "Next question please!"

He smiled nervously. "Parents?"

"I have a dad. He's very loving. He's great especially considering our situation. My mom left us when I was _really_ little. What's worse is that she married some other guy and had a baby with him! Then her and her new husband decided to go and die! Well I guess people can't choose when they're gonna die, but seriously! I have a brother! And he has no mama or daddy! He must've been lonely. I've always wanted to meet him, but my dad told me it was a bad idea. He has enough stress, so I tend to listen to him. I just hope he hasn't done anything dumb while I've been gone." I looked to the floor.

"I'm sorry. That must have been hard. Hey." He brought my chin up with his hand. "Are you better now?"

I felt my heart start to beat faster and I could almost swear I could hear it. "I don't really know." Just looking into his eyes made my heart stir this much. I couldn't imagine what we'd do as just a couple. "I think this wine just makes me feel weird for a brief time. I guess there's no after-effects."

"Hmm. What kind of weird?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Oh shut up." I rolled my eyebrows as I tried not to heat up just thinking about the feelings I had.

"It's ok. I felt it too. The only difference is I have tolerance and self-control." He smiled and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the door.

"Well thank you for not doing anything weird. I don't know if there's many guys that would do that."

"There damn-well isn't. I'm a one-of-a-kind and you better remember that well." He hugged me again.

I hugged back and we heard a knock on the door. We bolted apart. "Y-Yes?" We both echoed.

"You two have been in there a while. Are you okay?" I recognized the voice as Dale's voice.

"Yeah; we're coming." Klein opened the door and I left them to go to the front desk.

"So? How was it?" The lady grinned as she typed a few numbers in.

"We didn't. I tried to tell you earlier." I sighed.

"I'm sorry to hear that. That'll be 50 dollars." She giggled.

I shrugged and clicked 'Accept'.

"Are you sure you want to pay for that? I could pay for it." Klein argued.

"Too bad. I already accepted it." I stuck my tongue out.

"Thank you for your service. I hope you 'get lucky' next time." She waved.

"Who the _hell_ programmed her?" I groaned.

"Some pervert? Who cares. Let's get going." Klein walked out the door and I followed. "So, where are we going, Keru?" He whistled a song as we kept walking.

I thought for a moment. "I know where you guys can level up fairly fast, but it's dangerous. If you make one wrong move...AKA you don't listen to what I say, you're dead. Everywhere else is most likely taken right now. So it's either the dangerous area, or going to the next town and using the hunting grounds near there. Your pick." We kept moving as Klein added everyone to the party.

"Hmm. Let's vote. Next town!" Klein shouted and Issin rose his hand. "Dangerous grounds!" Dynamm, Dale, and himself raised their hands. "To the danger it is."

We set off on a journey to the harsh grounds with a positive mindset. Yume curled himself around my neck as we ran. As we ran, creatures would approach and, since I was leading, I slashed them down and, since we formed a party together, the experience was distributed. Finally, we arrived to an area clouded in darkness.

"Okay, here's the deal." I handed 3 potions to each person. "Listen to everything I say and _follow_ it. I don't want any of you dead, okay?" I had nods in response. "There are five of us. I'll be fine alone, so you four will form a group, using the switching method. Any questions?"

"What exactly is the switching method?" Dale scratched his forehead anxiously.

"When your hp gets too low for comfort, even if that's only half left, you say 'switch' and your partner starts battling the enemy while you heal up. _Make sure_ you heal as soon as you can. Yes; they taste bad, but it'll save you. It takes about 5 minutes to work so keep an eye on your health. So two of you pair together and decide who'll wait until the switch."

"Are you sure you'll be okay, Keru?" Klein frowned worriedly.

"Ryo..." I smiled and walked over to hug him. "I'll be fine." I pushed a Health Crystal into his back pocket so nobody else would see. "Use this if there's an emergency. Sorry, I only had one. I want you to stay safe." I whispered and let go. "Okay, they should start spawning so..." Before I finished, an Ox-like creature appeared. "No..." I narrowed my eyes. "This is a Trembling Ox. It's supposed to be on level 2, so what's it doing here?!" I slashed at it and it disappeared. "It seems they changed the creature here. These make the switch technique useless. They target an opponent, and then don't stop until either the player or the ox is dead." Another 2 appeared. "New strategy. Everyone go after one in an attempt to fend it off until I destroy it. BE CAREFUL. It will only take 5 hits from this enemy to kill you. It should take about 10 hits to kill it from all of you. I'm a higher level, so the rule does not apply." I went after one and it charged past me.

It went after Klein, knocking a good chunk of his life out. "Ryo!" Yume chased after him and healed about half of the missing life. The other one charged at Issin. I used a speed skill to catch up and slash it before it could hit him. On my way I'd slashed the other one.

"H-How many of these are there going to be?" Dynamm stuttered.

"Judging by the pattern forming, there'll be...55 total." I narrowed my eyes, not quite enjoying my own deduction.

"What?! What makes you think that?" Issin shouted as 3 more appeared.

I went after the closest, slashing down it's body. "One of this area's favorite patterns are 1, and then 2, and then 3, and then 4, and then 5, continuing up to 10. After that, no more appear for 30 minutes. By the end of this battle, though, you should be level..." I did some simple math in my head as I slashed the next monster. "You should be level 2 right now." I checked myself and I was right. "You should all reach level 11 and have half of your experience bar filled." I finished as I slashed the third.

"So we're possibly going to die." Dale sighed hopelessly.

I felt my eyes dial in on him. "Dale, I will not let any of you die." 4 more appeared and I launched myself at them. "Just protect each other until I come. Remember, only let yourself take 4 hits. When you're hit shout the number. If anyone hears someone say 4 and you aren't at 4 yourself, protect them and take a hit for them. Drink a potion at 3 hits." With 2 now out of the way, I headed for the 2 that were locked onto the group. I killed the third right before it hit Dale.

"One!" Issin yelled and I killed the fourth right before it hit a second time.

Klein smiled kindly at me. "She's a great leader and she knows what she's doing. We'll be okay if we just trust her and follow what she says." 5 more appeared.

"Let's make this count!" Dale yelled and they all shouted back in agreement.

I smiled, glad to finally have some trust going on. I went for one and after I sliced it, another sliced me in the back, which activated an ability called Hiding. It had disappeared from the menu, but was now back. I came at me again and I used it and I was completely invisible to it. I slashed it down and ran to the group.

"One!" Dynamm shouted.

"One!" Dale yelled.

I slashed 2 in a row.

"One!" Klein.

I threw my sword at the one about to attack Klein, the sword landing in his eyeball socket. I tackled it to the ground and twisted my sword. It disappeared and Yume floated along and sprinkled some kind of dust on all of us. A notification appeared on our menus.

"For the next 5 minutes, your attack will be doubled and so will the amount of experience you receive." Klein read aloud. "Sweet!" He smiled as 6 monsters appeared.

"Okay guys! All it takes is 5 hits to kill them now, try to aim for the same one!" I yelled as I bolted off to kill 2.

"Two!" Klein yelled and I heard some slashing noises. I looked back to see they killed one.

"Good job! Keep it up!" I slashed through the 2 near me and ran back killing another. 20 minutes passed as we killed the last of the ninth round. Everyone had used their 3 potions and had all taken 9 hits from them. At their current levels it would now take 15 hits to die. It took 2 slashes to kill the Trembling Ox. Yume sprinkled more of the dust.

"Alright! 1 hit, guys! Knock them dead!" I grinned and they charged. I killed one.

"Klein!" One of the guys yelled.

"I'm fine. 13!" Klein struggled to stand from the harsh attack.

4 were surrounding him and I was running toward him. _This cannot be happening! Klein can't die._ He slashed one and dodged the ones charging at him except for one. He had 1 more hit until he died.

**You have learned a new skill called Sprint. Activate?**

**Yes**

**Later**

I immediately clicked 'Yes' and ran the speed of light. I blocked an attack with my sword. "Klein, the crystal!" I blocked more attacks and one hit me. I was now down to only half of my health. I'd taken an unholy amount of risks, and now they were biting me in the ass because I had a limit to the amount I could take for him.

"Oh!" He anxiously pulled it out, but dropped it. It landed between the legs of an ox. "Crap!" It swung at him and I blocked it, but in my haste, I tilted the sword oddly and it shattered. I had no time to pull out any others, so I blocked the 3 with my body. "Keru! No! Don't! Guys, help!" He slashed one as 2 more ran over to us. I took the 2 from them and then moved to take 2 more from the others.

"We're kind of busy!" Dale yelled from far away, where 2 had drawn them to while 2 more headed over to me and Klein.

I was now taking hits in cycles from all 6 in a desperate attempt to keep Klein alive. Dynamm, Dale, and Issin finally killed the 2 and were headed for us, but it was a minute run. Meanwhile, my hp was quickly diminishing. I grabbed one of their Swords and threw it back at him. I was focusing as hard as I could. I couldn't hear anything while I focused on grabbing their swords and throwing them back at them as fast as possible.

"Keru..." I hear a mumble, but didn't process as I was still focusing on killing.

"Keru!" The mumbling insisted as I kept throwing.

"Kerushii!" I jumped as I realized I was on the ground and Klein was right in front of me shaking me.

"Where'd they go?!" I took in a huge breath as I looked around ferociously.

"Kerushii, calm down!" He insisted.

"I can't I have to find them and kill them! I can't let you die! You can't die!" I tried standing, but he yanked me down.

"Kerushii, look at me." I followed as he commanded and his eyes caught me in his trance. "It's over. You killed them all." He brought me in and my tensed body finally relaxed. His hugs were definitely the best. They made everything okay. I heard muffled sobs as his face was buried in my hair.

"What's wrong?" I frowned, my words muffled by my face being pressed into his chest.

"I thought you were going to die all because of me. Listen to me. Do not ever do that again! You cannot try to sacrifice yourself to save me." He squeezed me tighter and I nodded, loving the way it felt.

Yume circled around us, sprinkling and endless amount of green started pouring out of it. _It must have chosen to learn green, which focuses on healing, at some point during this fight._ I thought as I felt a large amount of my hp rise. Once Yume ran out of MP, he slowly soared around Klein's neck and passed out. _He must have used all that was left to heal as all._

"Thank you, Yume." I sighed, in complete bliss. "Hey, let's get going to the town okay? It's very close and I don't want to wait for those Trembling Ox to respawn."

He picked me up in response. "Alright. Meanwhile, you sleep. We can handle the rest on our own. You deserve it, my princess." He repeated our silly little agreement and it made me smile.

"Okay, but only...because you're...my..." I started, but dozed off. The day had exhausted me.


	3. The Reason

_**THANK YOU VERY MUCH, Handara AND CupcakeKatie FOR THE REVIEWS. IT'S VERY SUPPORTIVE AND GREATLY APPRECIATED. I HOPE YOU BOTH CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ME IN UPCOMING CHAPTERS!**_

_**Also, sorry if this is not as long.**____**I'm taking an online course and don't even have time to type anything right now.**__** And this chapter ended up being the longest. Wow. That being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you~~!**_

I felt very warm and at peace as I slowly came to consciousness. I stretched out and loosened again, finding my arms around something warm. I smiled, just feeling blissfully happy. I finally opened my eyes to meet face-to-face with Klein. I was partially on top of him, where it seems that I'd been napping on his chest. If he hadn't been asleep, I probably would have reacted horribly to this, but instead I smiled softly at him. His sleeping face was great. I poked it and giggled as he slept through, completely oblivious to it. I looked around without getting up (so that I wouldn't disturb him) and found that we were in a grassy area in the next town. I took a look at everyone's stats and it turns out, probably because of Yume's ability, they were all level 15. I smiled as I thought about Kirito. _Don't worry. They'll be safe now._ I looked back over at Klein. _I'm so glad you're safe. What is it about you that induces the need to protect you?_ I combed my fingers through his thick, but soft hair. _You seriously scared me yesterday. Then again I guess I already got you back for it. I wonder if you were seriously that worried about me..._ Simply the thought of him worrying about me brought in a feeling that I couldn't quite understand yet. It was similar to happiness, but slightly different. I laid back down and closed my eyes, letting the feeling engulf me as I tried to pinpoint exactly what it was. That was when I felt Klein moving around. When I finally opened my eyes, he was right in front of my face, grinning like a fool. I felt myself heat up at the closeness. The feeling was coursing through my veins, causing me to feel like I was on fire.

"Good morning." He softly whispered as he stared into my eyes. He was now on top of me.

"Ryo...what are you doing?" I stuttered.

"Just showing you what it's like when someone stares at you while you're trying to sleep." He let an even bigger grin slip onto his face as he saw my reaction.

I felt like my skin was melting into lava at this point. _This is so embarrassing! How did he know?!_

"Because I can read minds." He laughed.

"What?!" _There's no way that's possible!_

"Oh, it's possible." He smiled knowingly at me.

"How?!" I stammered.

"You..." He poked my cheek. "Are gullible." I cocked my head in confusion. "I've been awake this entire time. I felt you poke me and I could feel your intense gaze. Are you in love with me?" He laughed.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" I choked out, heating again.

"So you are in love with me!" He laughed triumphantly.

"You avoided my question." I pouted.

"You avoided mine first." He shot back, standing up.

"But...Klein..." I frowned as his eyes darted to mine.

He frowned back. "Yes, _Kanashii_?" That was when I realized I'd called him his screen name.

"I'm sorry, Ryo. You just confused the crap out of me. Why were you pretending?" I hesitated.

"Why were _you_ staring?" He stuck his tongue out and held a hand out to me.

I pouted as I finally grabbed his hand and allowed him to help me up. "Where are the others?"

"Why do you ask so many questions?" He chuckled as he held my hand, leading me farther into town.

"Where are we going?" I raised a brow.

"Again with the questions?" He raised a brow back at me.

"Why are you answering all of my questions with more questions?" I was seriously starting to get frustrated at him.

"Maybe because you keep asking questions?" He mused. I could tell he was enjoying the aggravation because he looked at my face, which was fresh with distaste, and started laughing again.

I faded to silence, finally giving up. I quietly let him lead me to wherever. Eventually, we appeared right outside a bar. I opened my mouth to speak, but when Klein looked over at me expectantly, I shut it. He sent me a cocky grin before he led me into the bar. I rolled my eyes as he pulled me.

"Thank you!" My eyes bolted to an eruption of popping noises. I watched confetti float gracefully to the floor. Immediately after, my eyes flung to the group of people holding confetti guns. I didn't understand what was going on.

"What is this?" My eyes dashed between all of them in an attempt of understanding.

"This..." Klein put his arm around my shoulder. "...is to thank you for saving our lives! Now drink up!" He grinned as he handed me a mug of beer.

I raised a brow trying to communicate my only worry.

"Don't worry. That was wine that was programmed to make you..." He shifted his eyes as if looking for better terminology. "...well...how you got. This beer is like normal beer. It just makes you happy! So..." He held his glass up in the air. "To a wonderful new life in SAO and also to our wonderful new friend who has saved our life already!"

"To SAO and Kanashii!" They yelled and we all knocked our glasses together. I heated up as I had to jump slightly to reach. I hoped nobody noticed, but of course Klein had to notice everything. He sent me the most adorable little smirk as I chugged some of my drink. He ruffled my hair.

"That's our little shortie!" He giggled as the others joined in on teasing me on my size. It felt almost as if we were a family. I had a feeling I would love my life in SAO. It was the exact opposite in my house. Between my father being drunk and me working and recently finishing up college, it was very lonely and dull. I sat down at the bar drinking, and pulled open my menu. I grabbed the picture of me, Kirito, and Klein. I flipped it over and it had our original avatars. I smiled reminiscently. We were all like a family too. _I'll try hard for you too, Kirito. We'll all be back together again one day._ I nodded, determination seeping out of me like wildfire.

A month slowly passed by and the guys reached level 30. I worked them to the bone even though they protested. I never wanted to deal with almost losing someone dear to me ever again. They were probably the highest-ranking non-beta testers at the time. Yume had also reached level 30 and decided to learn fire skills. Not only was she helping us with leveling faster, but she's also helping us destroy the opponents. It seemed like forever until someone could complete the first floor's boss, but someone has finally reached and defeated it. That somebody, from my information broker, was Kirito and a group of mostly noobs. I had become an acquaintance of a hooded girl with cat-whiskers. Her name was Argo, and it was obvious that she'd be a valuable resource. Though I'd tried to keep it completely professional, I couldn't help but become soft for her. She become more of a friend than I'd wanted. I knew she was a rash girl who would take risks without a second thought, which was why I'd made the decision to reject getting close to her. I was almost _certain_ that she'd die. I did not want to feel her death. I wanted to feel nothing more for deaths than I already would. Surely enough, my heart rejected my mind and befriended her. I let out a irritant sigh.

"When is she getting here?!" The voice rang out seriously. I looked up to see an impatient Klein.

I felt a twinge of unwanted feelings as I filtered my sentence before it came out. "I told you already that she has things she needs to finish up before we leave. Why the _hell_ are you so eager to meet her?" I felt a hint of poison seeping through my words and tone that I meant to filter out.

"Somebody is a little snippety!" Dale grinned as my eyes locked in on him.

"Dale, shut up! I'm just worried about you all getting yourselves killed." I forced out as pleasantly as I could.

"Hmm. Oh really? From what I recall, you seem to get like this a lot when Klein talks about a girl." Dynamm chuckled.

"Do not even start, Dynamm! I do not get snippety or irritated when he talks about any girl." I send a death glare his way.

"Well, they didn't say you got irritated. Guilty conscience?" Issin teased.

"I swear to god. I brought the three of your hp up this high and I can sure-as-hell knock it _right_ back down!" I hissed out.

"It's okay little kitty-cat. No need to get so territorial. We're still your groupies." Klein ruffled my hair as he smiled at me with his signature grin.

Lately it seemed like his smile always had me blushing ever-so-slightly. Luckily, I'd grown accustomed to this and could quickly shake it off. "I'm not territorial. You're just a jerk." I puffed my cheeks out, despite loving every little bit of attention he handed me. I hated the fact that I craved his attention so much. It was not pleasant to have lingering feelings such as these.

"If I'm a jerk, then why are you calming down?" He laughed with that amazing voice that always seemed to entice a flutter in my chest with each and every sound.

"I don't find it appropriate to waste energy arguing with someone whose intelligence could not keep up." I shifted my eyes, finding it hard to shake the blush.

"Hey now; Keru! That was just mean! I'm actually very smart." He protested.

I stuck my tongue out at him with an accomplished grin. "Well I haven't seen it. You'll have to prove that to me before I even consider you close to my level."

"Let's see. Your favorite colors are combinations of black and another color. You tend to clench your teeth ever-so-slightly when you either lie, or hear something you don't like. You're obviously used to taking care of people. Your favorite animal is a panda. You act tough, but you're actually very adorable and delicate inside. You act sort of oblivious, but you know exactly what's going on most of the time." He finished with a confident grin, obviously lacking any doubt.

"Wow. Look, she's slightly clenching her jaw." Dale observed.

I felt naked. So many things that were secret were now out in the open. I did _not_ enjoy it. "You're not completely right, but I do see a lot of things there." I sighed and turned around, not willing to let him see my shocked expression. "That all doesn't matter. It just means you're very observant." My mind was reeling. Nobody had ever paid enough attention to figure anything near that much about me out.

"Okay. You _will _see it though." He paused. "Keru...you don't need to use ulterior motives or a fake personality around us. We're like family, so we're better than that."

This had me reeling back to him again. I couldn't believe this man could read me so well. He was obviously more than just observant. It takes brains to analyze what is observed and come to a conclusion. I had no clue what to think about him besides that I'd found another trait to add to the 'amazing' pile.

"See? There. I prefer that face much better. Compared to the calculating look where you take time to decipher things in as many ways as you can. I guess that would be your brain partially at work too though." He blushed when he looked me deep in my eyes.

I felt like I was being seen for the real me for the first time in my life. After an expectation to be responsible, people tend to put on this facade. I had so many facades that I had no clue where the real me was until this very moment. How was it that this man could pick apart different pieces of me so easily? Suddenly his eyes tore from mine to behind me. His face turned full-blush as he ran straight past me.

"Hello, m'am! My name is Klein and I'm looking for a girlfriend!" He shouted from behind.

I felt like something in front of me snapped as a heard a voice inside my head. _Smash his face in. Just smash it in. He won't miss it! It'll be nice and easy._ "Yes. It will be nice and easy. He won't miss it." I felt myself repeat soullessly.

"Won't miss what?" I heard the grin in his voice.

I snapped my head around and marched over to Klein. I felt myself reach for his head. I stopped myself at gripping his head in one hand. "Your head. You don't need it. Right?"

"What?!" He yelled.

I felt my nails dig into his head. I felt some sort of level-up. I honestly did not care. "You won't miss it."

"Ow! Actually, I will miss my head very much! I sort of need it, ow. It's, ow, a, ow, necessity. Ow! Kana! It hurts!" He gripped my arm that was now pressing furiously on his head as my nails seeped farther in.

"What are you talking about? Heads are just silly. Why would you need them?" I laughed and it came out as probably the most demonic thing I've ever heard.

"Okay...Let's talk about this..." He hesitated with my nails digging slowly deeper and deeper. He went into lapses of screaming.

"What's wrong? Didn't you want me to be more real? To stop hiding behind that mask?" Another demonic laughed erupted out of me.

"Yes, but I didn't...ow!" He squealed as I started dragging him by the spots that had been digging. "Guys; help me!"

"It was nice knowing you man!" I heard Dale cheerfully called after.

"You were a great guy!" I heard Issin sniffle.

"Oh. Where did Klein go? I could've sworn he was here a second ago. Hmm. It almost seems as if I could hear his terrified screams for help." Dynamm's voice echoed out.

"Help! Oh god, guys! Please freaking help me!" Klein cried out.

"Hmm. I think it's just my imagination. I'd bet Klein's off somewhere having the time of his life right now." He resolutely finished.

"Screw you guys! I see how it is." Klein wined as we finally were out of sight, where I continued to beat the crap out of him.

"Ow! Keru! Kanashii! Come on! Ow! This...ow...hurts!" His voice violently tore from his throat. My body would not let me relent. "Keru! I'm sorry! What...ow...what did I do, Kerushii?!"

The sound of my name forced my mind to return and I immediately stopped hitting him. "I..." I had no clue why I'd felt such rage. It was extremely out of character for me. I'd never felt such a _disgusting_ feeling in my life. It was a terribly ugly feeling. I felt sadness slip in. "I don't know what came over me, Ryo...I'm sorry..." I frowned at him. The worst part was that I didn't feel bad about what I'd just done, but about something else.

"Are you ok, Kerushii?" He looked solemnly into my eyes, obviously concerned for my well-being.

I felt my face start burning at the sound of him calling me by my real _first_ name. He had already forgiven me for what I'd just done. He was _worried_ about _me_. It should've been the other way around. This man...he was extremely kind. I should seriously appreciate him more. "Yeah..." I looked away, ashamed of the feelings coursing through me.

"Hey!" He grabbed my chin and brought my face to his face. "I don't know what's wrong, but it's okay." He smiled. "I love you, no matter what."

I smiled back until what he'd stated hit me. I felt my heat radiate throughout my body. _Did he just say he loves me?_ I froze. I felt sweat forming under my shirt. It was insanely _hot_.

"Are you okay? What's wrong? You're really red. Can you even get sick on a video game?" He pressed his forehead against mine. "It's definitely hot. Hmm. What's wrong?" He left his forehead to lean on mine.

_How can he be so chill about this? Love is a big deal. Love is a HUGE deal. Do I even love him back? I'm not really sure. This is all too sudden. I have no clue. Can I really even love someone in a month? Well come to think of it, I've always thought him to have more significance to me than anyone else. Maybe I do love him. I can't leave him hanging. I need to tell him before he gets the wrong idea..._ I opened my mouth to speak when he jumped away from me, turning extremely red.

"I just realized! You might have taken that wrong. I meant to say that I love you as family. Usually I say that! It usually comes out automatically. I don't usually forget the last part. That's weird..." He nervously scratched at the back of his head.

I felt my heart sink. My moment of confidence while pushing myself through a field crammed full of butterflies came crashing down as tears welled in my eyes. It felt like I'd just been rejected without confessing. _Is this that whole friend zone thing that everyone keeps talking about?_ I attempted to blink away the tears, but they would not retreat. Instead, the threatened to spill out. _I wish I didn't figure it out. I don't want to love someone who won't love me back. He'll only flirt with a bunch of other girls, and I don't want it._ That was when I remembered why I played SAO. _In this world..._I felt my mind taking me back.

I stared down at the grave with my tiny, 7-year-old hands trembling. I hated this woman. She'd left me and my father all alone. I would never call this woman my mother. Why was I grieving over her, then? I despised her.

"Kokoro. I'm glad you made it. Please don't hold a grudge against her. She loved you...she just couldn't..." I looked up to see a woman who'd just burst into tears. She was holding a baby, rocking it in her arms, but she looked more like she was trying to comfort herself.

"It's fine. Kerushii, this is Kirigaya. She's your aunt." My father painfully forced out.

"Hello, m'am." I stated politely.

"Hello, Kerushii!" She smiled through her tears and bent down next to me. "I don't think you two had a chance to properly introduce. "This is Kazuto Kirigaya. He's your baby brother." She said, fresh tears pouring down her cheeks.

I stared at the boy and was caught in a trance. He was beautiful. I had a brother! I felt happiness start to pulse through me. "I'll be honestly. I do not consider that woman that is buried as my mother." She looked at me in horror, sobbing slightly. "This is my baby brother though and I love him. I hope he has a happy, fulfilling life with you, Aunt Kirigaya." I smiled brightly at her and she smiled back. I could tell her heart had lifted a little and I was ready to leave. I'd done all I could for the day.

I little older now, I stared at the grave. This was the first time I'd come here since she'd died. I was 17 and had just started learning programming in school. I had no clue what I wanted to do in the future because I was always too busy focusing on taking care of my father. I kicked the grave angrily. "I hate you! Why did you make him like this!" Everything withheld erupted out of my body. "You are the reason I can't be happy!" I screamed in frustration as I kicked it again.

"Don't be upset, lady." I looked down to see a 10-year-old boy standing behind me.

"I'm sorry you saw that." I sighed.

"Can I suggest something?" He hesitated.

"Sure." I attempted a smile, which did _not_ come easily anymore.

"If you're not happy, you should try video games. They're like an escape for the world." He started and paused. He looked as if he was debating whether or not to continue talking.

"Video games?" I questioned reluctantly.

"Yes!" He grinned, passion kicking in and removing any hesitation left inside. "Video games are great! I know it may not be common for girls to play as much, but they're really fun! They help you escape from reality! There's also rumor that they're working on a gaming system that happens in your brain! They use your nerves to connect and the game happens like it's reality. You can do anything in there!" His eyes lightened up wildly.

His eyes reminded me of someone. "By chance...is this girl...your mother?"

He nodded hesitantly.

My eyes widened and I grinned. This boy was my baby brother! I felt a giggle erupt out of me. "Tell me more about this fake reality video game, please."

His eyes lit up and he started rambling off like crazy. I grinned and absorbed each and every detail he could push out. I was so happy that my brother was so passionate about something. I felt it pushing me to play. We spent the rest of the day talking.

That was how it happened. I started playing video games and my life had become enchanted. I'd even gone to college for just about everything having to do with video games. My brother had created passion in my life through his passion. I didn't like life, but it didn't mean I had to hate life. I found a nice distraction. It distracted me from the sadness in my life.

In this world, I could be whatever I wanted. It was _not_ reality. I joined this world to remove sadness from life. This man had forced me to forget this though by making me fall in love with him. I wiped away the tears that had slipped out.

"Are you okay?! What's wrong?" He panicked, helping me wipe away tears.

I slapped his hand away. "I got it, Klein. I'm not a little kid." I rolled my eyes and finished wiping them.

"Kerushii, what is wrong?! You're weirding me out!" He sighed and tried to bring me in for a hug.

I pushed him away. "Klein, get off and don't call me by my real name." I barked out.

"Why? What are you freaking out about all of a sudden?!" He worried.

"We're in a video game. Why should I get close to you? We'll never see each other in real life. It would just be another person missing in my life that I'm wishing is there. I play video games to escape reality, not to bring more sadness to my life." I turned and started walking.

"Kerushii..." He mumbled and quietly followed me.

"Hey, Argo." I attempted a smile.

"What happened?" She tilted her head.

I patted her on the head. "Nothing. Don't worry about it." I gave her a smile, but it felt like a frown.

"Hmm. What's this?" She opened her menu and giggled lightly. "I see now. You love Klein."

"What?!" I yelled and looked onto her menu. Surely enough, it said, **Kanashii seems to have strong feelings of attraction towards Klein. I wonder if he notices.** I felt my face flush. There was no way that she was _already_ that good of an information broker. "That's just ridiculous! I think you're too low-leveled because that is not accurate at all." She opened her mouth to protest, but I interrupted. "Let's just get this floor boss done."

Everyone nodded as we walked to the dungeon. We all easily made it through the dungeon, but all the guys remained back behind us out of ear-shot.

"Hey Argo...do you think Klein is back there talking about me...?" I sighed.

She rubbed her fingers together with a devilish grin.

I rolled my eyes. "You would sell your own grandma." I tossed her some money.

"So they say." She rolled her eyes in return.

"Alright, well I paid you. Are they?" I sighed.

"They are. Klein is very confused." She giggled. "You have that boy's brain doing cartwheels."

"I don't know why." I narrowed my eyes. "And I _don't_ love him." I replied due to the look on her facial expression.

"Oh really? So you wouldn't mind if I decided to take him for myself?" She looked me in the eyes, knowingly.

"He's a perv. He would probably just creep on you." I tried to shrug as nonchalantly as I could.

"Oh, okay. I want him anyways. He seems interesting." With a sneer, she slowed down and Klein ran into her. "Oh, I'm sorry! I got distracted." She bowed at him.

"Oh no! I'm sorry. I should've been watching where I was going." He looked at her with the most sincere smile ever.

I noticed slight blush form across her face. She jogged up to me. "He's oblivious and gullible. Good luck with that." She shook her head. "You may get quite a bit of competition."

"I told you already..." I started.

"You know I'm the best broker around. Don't you ever dare insult me by implying that my information is wrong." She raised a brow at me.

"Fine." I sighed. "I give. You're right. Not for long though. I'm going to get rid of it." I shifted my eyes.

"You really think you can get rid of something like love...?" She let out a sigh of disbelief.

"Yes. I will." I looked her in the eyes determined.

Her eyes widened and she let a soft smile slip onto her lips. "Alright then. Let's bet on it. 1000."

"Deal." I grinned back.

"Sweet. So if you're together when we meet in real life, then you owe me 1000 yen." She chuckled.

"Wait, real life?" I tilted my head.

"Yes. I want to meet you in real life." She smiled innocently at me.

It made me smile, knowing that she cared so much, but deep inside, I felt a fear. I was starting to worry about her dying. "What are the chances."

She smiled again. "We'll meet." She assured.

I looked up at the door towering door. This was the boss room. "Are you all ready?"

A few mumbles and grumbles replied. That was enough for me. I opened the door and we all walked in. This was honestly not even a boss because of our levels. I won't be going over the whole battle, because it was easy. The summary was that I protected Argo from every attack, while striking a few hits of my own. The person who hit last was Klein, so he got the bonus prize. He equipped the new item immediately. I stared at him intensely as I realized that he had the loneliest expression in the world.

"You know...it's okay to love him. He's a good guy. I won't tell on you." I heard a whisper in my ear.

I recognized this voice as Dale's. It seemed that everyone knew at this point except for the guy himself. I felt my face drape in red as I gave in. I loved Klein and I needed to learn to accept it and stop making him feel like crap. I tore my eyes away from him, refusing to look directly at him as I let my mind speak for me. "It looks good on you..." I found it hard to let his name escape my found until my face was blistering red. "You look handsome, Tsuboi..." I finally said it. I allowed my eyes to meet his eyes and I noticed the most adorable surprised expression in the world.

He practically jumped on top of me with a hug as he laughed himself away. "You finally called me my first name!" He rubbed his cheek against mine. "You're so adorable! It's okay! Don't worry about what happened because it's okay! I love you, Kerushii! We're family!" He laughed while fully embracing me.

This man sure did love his hugs. I allowed myself to smile and let go of all the stress. None of it mattered. "I love you too, Tsuboi." We didn't mean it in the same way, but it was okay. "It's okay for now." I reassured myself as I wrapped my arms around him, feeling the warmth and kindness I fell in love with.

At least it would be smooth sailing until the later floors. We had no reason to worry...or so I hoped.


	4. The Encounter

**Hello, sorry for the delay [I finally got out of online summer school and was trying to live up the 2 weeks left until legit school starts back up...ugh]! Thank you, Handara, ShieldWWEFreak, Atsirk Enoh, and MoonWolfsBlood for your awesome reviews! I'm happy to know your opinions, and I hope you keep up with the support! The last chapter was pretty inconsistent, so sorry if it was confusing. I'll try to do better. I promise! I hope you enjoy this chapter~**

**ALSO: I have not proofread this at all, so I apologize in advance if there's an abundance of mistakes. I may go back and fix them later...maybe. CONTINUE ON~**

RECAP

This man sure did love his hugs. I allowed myself to smile and let go of all the stress. None of it mattered. "I love you too, Tsuboi." We didn't mean it in the same way, but it was okay. "It's okay for now." I reassured myself as I wrapped my arms around him, feeling the warmth and kindness I fell in love with.

At least it would be smooth sailing until the later floors. We had no reason to worry...or so I hoped.

Chapter

I looked up into the cold night sky, steam from my breath floating into the sky and dancing around playfully. The truth was that I loved the winter. It made warmth feel so much better and warmer than it actually was. I did wonder why the weather was suddenly so cold and wintery, but I figured it was just a little thing the developers decided on. It _did_ keep things more realistic I suppose. It was getting so realistic, that I had almost forgotten and let go of the real world. The spring, summer, and most of fall had passed, so it was almost winter, which meant Christmas. My thoughts were interrupted by a voice.

"Hey! You!" I looked over happily, expecting Klein. My smile faded as I came to the realization that these guys were complete strangers. "Hey, girlie! Why don't you come hang with us?" They grinned.

"Um...actually..." I trailed off as one grabbed one arm and the other grabbed my other arm. "Hey! I don't want to go with you!"

"Too bad. You're going to have some fun with us, alright?" They laughed, completely care-free.

"I said no!" I struggled to break free, but they had a tight grip.

"And we said we don't care." The man rolled his eyes.

"Oh, there you are, babe!" A voice sounded from behind. The men loosened their grip on me as I felt an arm wrap around me. I looked up to see a tall, brown haired man with a pleasant smile on his face. He had bright green eyes [made up because in the anime, I'm pretty sure you never see his eyes]. He sent me a quick wink.

"Who exactly are _you_?" They scoffed.

"The name's Tetsuo. I'm this fine lady's lover. I'll be taking her back to our guild." He glared back at them. "Unless you'd rather them come here. I'm sure they'd be _plenty_ happy to."

"No! We're actually just leaving!" They squealed and ran off.

After a moment of silence, he faced me and played with a long strand of my hair. "Are you okay? They didn't do anything inappropriate to you, did they?" The sincere look in his eyes shined brightly.

After a moment of gazing into the most bizarre pools of green I'd ever seen, I finally pushed my answer out. "Oh! No, I'm okay. Thank you so much for what you did back there!" I grinned politely at the man. "How could I ever repay you?"

"Would it be too much to ask for a date from you, my fair lady?" He chuckled lightly, face tinged with pink shades.

I paused, taking his question in. "Of course not! I would love to hang out with you!" I giggled and clicked on him, then sent a friend request.

He immediately swiped at it. "Wow. Today is my lucky day! I've managed to meet a beautiful woman and she even accepted a date with me! Thank you very much." He took my hand and kissed it gently.

I felt my face heat up. I'd never met a guy who was so polite. "Actually-" I started, but was rudely interrupted.

"Who are you?" Something moved into my vision. I looked up to see an auburn-color of hair. It was Klein. He was standing between me and Tetsuo.

"I'm just a guy who saved a _very_ pretty girl from two pieces of scum. The question is, _who are you?_" He raised a thin brow.

"I'm just a guy who stops scum like _you_ from touching this very pretty girl." Klein was completely tensed up.

"Stop, Ryo! This guy saved me. He's not scum. It's fine." I pulled at his shirt and he looked back at me with a frown.

"I'm your knight. I'm supposed to protect and save you." His eyes were showing sadness mixed with something else. I narrowed my eyes. Did I see jealousy in his eyes?

"You weren't there at the time. You can't expect to be there every time something bad happens." I sighed and grabbed his hand to comfort him.

"I want to be..." He looked to the floor.

"I'll message you later about our date." I looked to see Tetsuo wink and grin. "See you later, Kanashii."

I nodded back to him and he started walking away.

"Hey Ryo..." He refused to look up. "Tsuboi...?" I tried and his eyes bolted up to mine. They changed quickly from teeming with jealousy to jumping with happiness. He hugged me.

"I love the way you say my name!" He chuckled. "I've never loved the sound of my name so much before." He let out another giggle as he brought out a soft red scarf and wrapped it around both of our necks. He wrapped his arms back around me and rested his forehead on mine. "This reminded me of your eyes. It was just stunning, so I thought you'd like it..." He spoke quietly, as if speaking any louder would ruin the peaceful moment.

I wrapped my arms around him in return. "Thank you, _Tsuboi_. I love it." I felt blush melt onto my face as he pulled my chin up to look at him.

"Let's get this straight now. You're _my_ princess to protect." His facial expression was the most serious I think I'd ever seen from him.

I stared off into his amazing eyes. His statement had me reeling. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?" A few moments of comfortable silence passed as I awaited his answer. It could be taken in so many different ways.

He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it again.

"Tsuboi, what does that mean?" I pressed on.

His eyes widened at his name and he let out a blissful sigh. "I don't know. I think it just means that I don't want you leaving us. I like it just how it is." He smiled, pushing back some loose strands of hair behind my ear.

I felt my heart pushing on. "You like it _just_ how it is?" I tried.

He hesitated and fiddled with the scarf binding us together. "Well, what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"What do you think it means?" My mind wavered, but my gazed was locked on him. His eyes connected and I heard him force a gulp.

"I think that it means..." He was tiptoeing around my question. He looked back down at the ground.

I grabbed the scarf and tightened it, pulling us closer. This forced him to either look at me, or the sky. There was nowhere else. He seemed only able to look at me. "What do you think it means?"

"I think it means..." He hesitated for a few moments and then shook his head. "It doesn't matter what it means. I love _just_ how it is."

I let go of the scarf and sighed. He was so oblivious all of the time. I should have figured it would end up like this. I knew it would, but it didn't stop the burn in my chest that rose to my eyes slightly.

"What? Oh crap! What did I do wrong?!" He grabbed the scarf and pulled us back together quickly, but in the process, he pulled too hard. He tightened it so much, that before we knew it, our lips were pressed together. It was my natural instinct to kiss him, which he returned. My face heated up along with his. He quickly let go and we jumped apart.

I closed my eyes and touched my lips. Even though it was quick and accidental, he was a great kisser. I couldn't help the smile that crept onto my face.

"I'm so sorry, Kerushii! I didn't-wait. Why are you smiling?" He raised a brow as his face calmed.

"I don't think you want to know." I grinned, picking up the scarf from the floor. I dusted it off.

"I do." I heard hesitation in his voice.

"It's just that...it wasn't bad." I laughed and wrapped the scarf around my neck, covering my mouth. "Thanks again for the scarf. I really do love it." I started walking.

"Sure; no problem. Wait, what wasn't bad?!" He paused. "Hey, wait up!"

"Hurry up, you slowpoke!" I stuck my tongue out at him and started running.

"Oh, _I'll_ show _you_ fast!" He laughed, running after me.

I ran as fast as I could, passing many people. I noticed that the sun was starting to rise. I grinned, loving the feeling of running with the cold air splashing my face as I continued to run towards the sun. It was so cold, but it always made the warm moments even better. Suddenly, I was tackled to the ground, Klein hugging me tightly. We were both laughing in the midst of catching our breath.

"Ryo, how...did...you catch up?!" I couldn't help all of the smiles that were emitting from me. I was just so happy when we goofed off like this.

"What kind of...knight would I be...if I couldn't catch my princess?" He flashed a cocky grin, which turned straight into a blissful smile as he rolled to stare at the sky, arm still wrapped around me.

I continued to stare at him. "You're a great knight."

"I could be better. I should've been there to protect you from those guys. I will be better." He nodded to himself.

"Honestly, I can handle myself. I don't need you to be a knight." I laughed.

"Don't say that! If that guy wasn't there, you could've been in _big_ trouble." He turned his head to me, face full of concern.

"I would've gotten out of it." I smiled.

A grimace formed on his face as he shot up. "Kerushii! I care about you! Don't just act like you're strong. You _need_ protection. _Promise me_ that you won't go somewhere that you can get into that situation without me again. Please?" He begged.

I sighed. "Only if it would make you feel better." He nodded. "I promise."

"Good." He laid back down and curled up in front of me.

"You worry too much." I curled up with him and fell asleep. A few days passed by along with the 'date' I'd promised to Tetsuo. When I'd found out his level, I'd made him promise to go on a leveling-spree with me. I didn't want anyone I knew to be low enough to die. Nobody should have to face death because of a video game. Today was the day of our 'second date', as he called it. Of course he only thought of us as friends, but he was very strange. He thought it would be more interesting to act this way towards each other.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. It was hard to believe that I was the same person. My personality had changed so much. I used to be a girl who smiled and was very kind, but deep down, she was lonely and unhappy. She felt the obligation to take care of everyone, but all she _really_ wanted to do was live out her youth before it was gone. All that had changed in this world. In this world, I was happy. I loved this life more than anything. I grinned like a fool and it was straight from the heart. I _did_ feel the obligation to take care of everyone, but I also _wanted_ to take care of everyone. I wanted everyone to live and to be happy. I felt another grin slip onto my face as I wrapped my red scarf around my neck.

"What are _you_ so smiley about?" Klein appeared behind me in the mirror. I jumped back, running into him. He caught me, barely even losing balance.

"How long have you been there, Ryo?!" I felt my face heat up. He was good at sneaking up on me lately.

"Long enough to tell that you're doing some _reflecting_." He chuckled at his own joke.

I shook my head, unable to help the eruption of giggles that formed from myself. I simply loved cheesy things, whether they're romantic or not. "You're lucky you're cute."

He frowned. "I'm not going for cute. I'm going for charming or handsome! Don't tell me that I'm cute!" He complained.

I raised a brow. "Too bad. You're adorable. The title has already been cast."

"No! I need to find out how to change it! Do you want to hang out today?" Klein grinned confidently.

"Sorry Ryo, but I've already got plans." I patted him on the head and passed him, rummaging through a few drawers.

He stared at me, frozen in place. "What? Like...a date?" He finally followed.

"Not really." I paused, considering the truth. "Well, maybe it is. He calls it our second date, but we're really just grinding his levels."

"Grinding, huh?" He looked at me suspiciously.

I took a moment to consider what he was implying and smacked him in the stomach. "Not that kind of grinding. Grinding as in getting experience to increase his levels. RPG talk. I guess you wouldn't understand." I stuck a tongue out.

"I know what grinding is, thank you very much! But why are you going with that guy? You already had your promised 'date'. " He sighed.

I shrugged. "I like him. I don't want him to die. I'm killing 2 birds with 1 stone. Don't freak out."

"I'm not freaking out! I just thought it would be nice if we could hang out. We haven't done it in a while..."

"Sorry! We'll all hang out and just chill really soon." I grabbed a few healing crystals from the drawer.

"No." He turned me around to face him, eyes filled with imploration. "Just us. We haven't spent any time alone. I like those times."

I sighed, knowing that he didn't feel the same way about his own words that I did. "Do you even know how many girls would be tearing their hair out by now?"

"What do you mean?" He questioned, obviously dumbfounded.

"_That's_ what I mean. You don't even realize what you're saying sometimes."

"Hmm. I don't understand what you mean by that, but you're a special girl, so I guess I'm lucky. You won't tear your hair out. It's too pretty and you're too smart." He laughed and I let out another sigh.

"I don't know if you're seriously that oblivious or just a total idiot. Maybe it's a mix of both."

"Hey, you're an idiot too! And oblivious! I try to tell you some things and you just don't get the hint." He pouted.

"Maybe you should just tell me, then! I'm not good with hints!" I raised a brow for the final time at him.

"...touché. From now on, I'll be more direct. This guy, Tetsuo, is no good for you." He calmly announced.

"Why would that be?" My eyes were more than likely revealing shock, as I had no clue he'd openly admit that he didn't like Tetsuo.

"I get this bad feeling about him. You shouldn't be around him too much. He's going to hurt you." He pouted.

"Then it's a good thing that you're here to protect me." I smiled, ruffled his hair a little, and walked out of the room before he could object. I did hear a noise rise from the room a few moments after I left. It sounded like a short stream of yelling, but I decided to tune it out. I stepped out of the hotel and felt a hand slip into mine. I looked up to see Tetsuo smiling at me, as usual.

"Hello, milady. Shall we depart?" He gave a gentle tug at my hand and we both started walking.

"I guess so. Why do you talk like that?" I felt an eyebrow raise to match my internal confusion. I'd wondered since I met him.

"Well..." He took a moment to carefully choose his words. "A lady as amazing as yourself deserves a gentleman. I'd like to be as kind and polite to you as you deserve."

"I don't want a gentleman though. It's just silly to act like something else to be around someone you like." I shook my head and laughed.

He frowned. "How would you like me to act? What kind of personality are you attracted to?"

I stared at him, wondering if he was joking. This guy was okay with acting however someone wanted him to act? My eyes lingered to our connected hands, fingers intertwined. I knew so little about him, but we could act pretty open with each other already. That's what I thought before he'd asked this question. Was he putting on an act for me? Or was he being himself? Either way, my answer was still the same. "I fall for a guy who can be himself around me. I go crazy over someone who can smile his face off, meaning 100% of his smile. People are the most attractive when they are being completely honest with both me and themselves." I smiled politely at him.

His eyes widened and his face flushed to a dark red. "Can I be honest with you?"

"Of course. What is it?" I sent him a questioning glance.

"The first time we met wasn't the first time I've seen you. The truth is that I've seen you around with your clan ever since the beginning. I was always watching you. I even saw what you did for your group on day 1. You risked your life to save the others. I think somewhere along that road, I fell in love with you." His face turned beet-red and I could almost swear I could feel his heart beating. "I think I fell for you because you were so brilliant and honest with everyone you met." I felt my face start to match his. He stopped and looked me in the eyes. "I know you barely know me, but I know you well and hope you get to know me just as well. I truly love you, Kanashii."

I was frozen in place unable to react. His face lowered to meet mine. "Don't worry. I don't want an answer right now." His lips met mine and I felt my heart skip a beat. This guy was practically a stranger, but my heart couldn't contain itself around him. I would have probably hit anyone else, but for some reason, I was okay with this. I felt myself kiss him lightly back instinctively as he pulled away.

"One day, I'll make you feel the same towards me. So don't worry about making me wait. I have all the time in the world for you, my love." He smiled again, but this time it was unbelievably bright. I seemed to sparkle. I felt myself heat up just a little more over the fact that I was letting myself get so worked up. I nodded lightly as my response. I really couldn't do anything else. My mind was on overload, gears spinning out of control.

He grinned happily, grabbing my hand and tugging again. My feet moved on their own in pace with his. I couldn't believe there was someone out there that cared that much about me. I felt a faint smile slip onto my lips as I tightened my grip of his hand. Any thought I'd previously had of Klein slipped away suddenly. _He would probably never love me back anyways...I'm going to try to love Tetsuo. Even if it's just a little..._ I nodded again to myself this time and smiled. I tugged at his hand and started running.

"Wha-What's gotten into you, Kanashii?!" Tetsuo yelled, being dragged along with me.

"We gotta get you leveled up, Tetsuo!" I laughed and stopped as we approached the door of the dungeon. "You ready to get some serious grinding done?" I raised a brow.

"I'm ready for anything with you." He smiled back at me.

"Good. Because you aren't getting rid of me, now." I opened the door and we stepped in. Yume swirled around my shoulder protectively. My stomach churned at the thought of giving into the decision to go for Tetsuo, but my mind was set. I was going to be happy if I went for Tetsuo..._or so I thought..._


End file.
